The long-term goal of this project is to expand and disseminate our innovative intemship and near-peer mentoring models for minority youth and women in the biomedical sciences, thus increasing the number of minority students participating in the quantitative disciplines. Dissemination and expansion of the program will take place in three steps: 1) Within the National Capital Region through the Internet and co-operative arrangements with established educational initiatives within DCPS system. 2) For year 2, expand to one site outside the National Capital area. The site would be for a group that had already begun to model their fledgling program on our STARS program, or one of the specific sites discussed in Aim #3. The likely site would be at Ft. Monmouth, NJ, since Dr. Constella Zimmerman is planning to start a STARS initiative. 3) Extend the program to specific sites within selected cities, Utilize current contacts in states that do not yet have a SEPA program to disseminate our model program adapted to be appropriate for their needs. STARS, Student Training in Advanced Research Skills, is a rapidly maturing program that primarily serves underrepresented minority students of the National Capital Area. A one to four-week series of experiments provide basic laboratory skills, while illustrating the fundamental principles of science, mathematics, engineering and technology. Research scientists, in conjunction with their college assistants, design ageappropriate protocols relating to current Institute research.